Champions League: A second-half brace from Dembele secured a 2-0 victory over against Liverpool

Kathmandu: The famous Anfield atmosphere wasn’t enough to save Liverpool’s European campaign as Paris Saint-Germain delivered a masterclass in counter-attacking football.

A second-half brace from Ousmane Dembélé secured a 2-0 victory for the French champions, ending the tie with a dominant 4-0 aggregate scoreline.

A FRUSTRATING NIGHT FOR THE REDS

Liverpool entered the second leg needing to overturn a 2-0 deficit, and for much of the match, it looked as though they might find a way back. The Reds dominated the territorial battle, ending the game with 53% possession and a massive 21 total shots. However, a lack of clinical finishing haunted the home side throughout the night.

Liverpool’s Expected Goals (xG) of 1.94 suggested they should have found the net twice, but PSG goalkeeper and his backline stood firm. Despite the 21 attempts, only 5 of Liverpool’s shots found the target, illustrating the wastefulness that ultimately cost them the tie.

THE DEMBÉLÉ SHOW

As the game moved into the final twenty minutes, Liverpool committed more bodies forward in a desperate attempt to score. This played right into the hands of Luis Enrique’s PSG. In the 72nd minute, the deadlock was broken. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia turned provider, finding Ousmane Dembélé who finished with precision to effectively end Liverpool’s hopes.

Dembélé wasn’t finished there. In the first minute of stoppage time (90’+1), he combined with Bradley Barcola to score his second of the night, putting the final exclamation point on a professional PSG performance. Dembélé’s efficiency was the difference maker—PSG had only 12 shots compared to Liverpool’s 21, yet they forced more saves (6 shots on target) and scored twice.

TACTICAL SUPERIORITY

Referee Maurizio Mariani had a relatively quiet night as PSG’s tactical discipline kept the game under control. The French side showed a level of maturity often missing in their previous European campaigns, soaking up pressure at one of world football’s most intimidating venues before striking with lethal speed.

For Liverpool, the defeat marks a disappointing exit from the competition. While they showed the attacking intent required for a comeback, their inability to test the keeper consistently proved to be their undoing. PSG now march into the semi-finals as one of the favorites to lift the trophy, having dismantled one of England’s heavyweights with ease.

MATCH SUMMARY:

• Score: Liverpool 0-2 PSG (Agg: 0-4)
• Goals: Ousmane Dembélé (72′, 90’+1)
• Assists: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Bradley Barcola
• Venue: Anfield
• Attendance: 59,627
• Referee: Maurizio Mariani